Inflate Balloons, Not Grades
November 25, 2024
The Shock of Public Scrutiny Early in my teaching career in New York City Public Schools, I knew that my students weren’t getting grades that
Tag: Blog
The Grade Depression
October 24, 2024
The First F In my second year as a New York City Public school teacher, my student, Sharone, declared that the first F she ever
Beyond Points: Reimagining Homework for Authentic Learning in the AI Era
September 30, 2024
As the manager of the coaching team at Crescendo Education Group, I’ve had the privilege of being a part of, and witness to, so many
Can We Trust The Transcript?
July 30, 2024
“Each year, millions of high school students are receiving grades that don’t represent what they actually know and have learned . . . Yet, they
How Are Group Grades Inequitable?
May 30, 2024
Professional work environments in the 21st century are all about collaboration and teamwork. We want our students to learn important skills of working together: to
Navigating Shared Decision-Making in Schools: The Complexities of Grading Policies
April 11, 2024
Who makes decisions in schools? Principals frequently promote “shared decision-making” or “distributed leadership” as a signal to teachers that their voices matter. A principal knows
The Tyranny of Grading Software
January 15, 2024
How do electronic gradebooks undermine teachers’ professionalism and anchor them to an inaccurate and unfair grading system? Grading has come a long way from the
Trusting Teachers’ Judgments
December 11, 2023
“Doubting their own professional judgment, teachers often believe that grades calculated from statistical algorithms are more accurate and more reliable.”–Thomas R. Guskey Teachers, as trained
Why worry about grading?
November 17, 2022
With all of the pressures and demands on teachers, principals, and districts, why focus on improving how we grade? Grading is more than the final